Greens Report from Sun Valley Flower Farm

Our West Coast Evergreen Division is in the middle of their holiday push, I grabbed Debbie Hartman, our own Queen of Greens to get a report.

Lily: Hey Debbie, how is it going?

Debbie: We are in the middle of an enormous amount of production. I can't believe that this is my tenth Christmas season a Sun Valley and I am thrilled to be doing what I love.

Princess Pine, shorties!

Lily: Explain your main offerings.

Debbie: OK, we have our "Assorted Christmas Box," this a box featuring 5 pounds of Noble, Silver, Incense Cedar, Berried Juniper and Princess Pine. These are the basics of Christmas. We also have a box of  "Tips" in 2 pound bunches of Noble, Silver, Incense Cedar, Berried Juniper and Princess Pine. The difference here, is that the tips have all the extra wood removed, where the regular box is more straight from the forest.

Another popular item has been our 12 pound sampler, which features 2 lbs of 6 items. This has been very popular with supermarkets, since consumers love the variety. Noble, Silver, Princess Pine, Mountain Hemlock, Douglas Fir and Incense Cedar.

Lily: Any challenges this year?

Debbie: We were really worried that due to some dry conditions during the summer, the quality of the Noble and Silver Fir might not be as good as in the past, however, this has not been the case, everything looks phenomenal.

2 pound bunches of Douglas Fir.

Lily: Any surprises?

Debbie: Yes! Our White Heather crop is in early. This crop usually doesn't come in until about Valentine's Day. However, with the recent warm, wet conditions around Humboldt County, it has come to harvest much quicker than we expected. This is a very popular branch, and we are selling it as fast as we can process it in the warehouse.

White Heather, just brought into the warehouse.

Lily: What about your team in the warehouse?

Debbie: I am very fortunate to have Teri as our team leader for the last five years. I couldn't ask for a better person to lead our team. This year, we brought in many team members who were working at our farm in Willow Creek to help out with processing the greens. They are used to working with botanicals, and having people with experience has made the bunches look great.

His name is David, but lately we've just been calling him Heather.

 Lily: What your favorite green?

Debbie:  Geez, tough question!!!  I love silver fir. The white needles on the bottom often grow upward, it is very beautiful. Then there is Mountain Hemlock. The soft blue-green needles pick up the colors of the flowers you pair with it.  Mountain Hemlock is a hidden secret of the greens world. Once people try using it, they are hooked, but many people are still unfamiliar with it.

Really, I love the combination of greens together. They each compliment each other beautifully.

Debbie and Lane, posing with our Women's Day sign. Celebrate Woman's Day on March 8th, 2015.

Lily: Good luck with the rest of your holiday season!

Debbie: Thanks!